Romance of the Four Juans

Track 06

Huan dressed quickly. He barked an order for Jigo to fix his things before going out of the room. All the worst-case scenarios ran across his head, but he prayed that his father actually wasn’t philandering away with a girl who could pass as his daughter. Even if Dante continuously denied his involvement with women after marrying Angel, his charming ways haven’t stopped younger women from flinging themselves at him. Huan never understood why or how that happened. He found them in the living room, the girl already bidding him farewell. Huan’s arms crossed. “Would you mind introducing me to your guest, father?”

The girl smiles, disengages herself from Dante, and walks towards him with her hand ready for a handshake. “Hello, nice to meet you. I’m HB, you must be the eldest, Huan.”

“Yes, he is. How about you get to know each other before you leave, HB?”

Huan realized immediately that his father might not be womanizing and instead trying to match make. With that realization, Huan pushes Dante’s arms away from him. Hell would come lose if he allowed his father to control that facet of his life.

“I’ll be very forward, a? If you’re not dating anyone at the moment, please consider this son of mine. He and Kiko were born in the same year, but while Kiko seems capable of handling multiple relationships at once, this son can’t even manage not to be cheated by one. He’s getting older, and he’s only dated that one horrendous woman. She cheated on him.”

“Pa!” Huan protests, taking hold of Dante’s arm.

Dante leans, whispering in HB’s ears the most crucial part of that cheating scandal. “Cheated on him with a guy twice her age, which turned my son into this misogynistic nightmare that has now become my problem.”

“Papa! Ano ba?”

“If we want her to be a part of the family, we have to tell the truth.”

HB responds in the most serious and respectful manner that surprised both father and son. “I’m not seeing anyone, but I’m already spoken for, uncle. My grandfather and an old friend of his made an arrangement even before I was born.”

“Ay! Whoever honors those ancient word of mouth agreements these days?”

“Though it’s not in writing and my grandpa has long passed from this world, I thought I should still honor their wishes and bridge two families again. Part of the reason why I came home this time is to meet that person they engaged me to.” She grins at Huan. “I wouldn’t worry about Kuya Huan. In time, I’m sure he will take a girl home to meet you. Be patient. Or if… If he takes home a boy instead, do not fret. You have two more, don’t you?”

Dante deflates at her words. All hope that came to him upon the mention of grandchildren awhile back splintered back into dust. In an instant, he’s back to being this cranky old man whose plaything was snatched.

On the other hand, Huan snorted at the expert answer. That went down so quickly, and he didn’t even need to move a muscle and it made him appreciate the girl before him. Wherever did Dante pick this stray kitten from?

Dante turns to Huan, pouting like a child. “I have no doubt you’d be one of the most beautiful out there if you ever decided to be a girl.”

“HB.” Kiko’s deep voice boomed from the living room. His long strides enabled him to cross the threshold in four steps. He bent down to the girl’s height and gave her a quick beso before putting her at arm’s length, even stroking her hair like one would a cat. “So, you came.”

“Your father has kindly kept me company while you slept.”

“That’s nice.”

For Huan, it felt strange to see the distant Kiko get all mushy and soft with the girl. The way they drew close and portrayed their affection for each other is that of people who are more than friends. But it’s not the hugging or even the sweetness that bothered Huan. It’s their height difference that made him stare. They are like the ring finger and the pinky standing next to each other like that. Kiko has Dante’s tall genes alright. On the other hand, there’s the friend standing like the average Filipina, five feet tall and nothing more.

“Ei, if you’re not in a rush, send her back.”

“We’re not.” Jigo answers for them.

The four of them filed inside the pick-up truck. Dante didn’t even see them off. He went inside, climbed into his room, and looked over from the window.

As the gate opens for them, and much to Huan’s surprise, the only cousin he’s ever known is standing right at the center of the driveway. The window of the rose gold vehicle rolls down and Huan sticks his head out to yell. “An-An! What the hell?”

The youngest of Dante Silverio’s four children finally appears, not because he’s been summoned like the rest of them, but because of his own challenging circumstances that showed right on his face as he came closer to the car. Zian Hwan, An-An as he’s fondly called, looks like he’s been crying. Even his thick, prescription glasses couldn’t hide that.

Huan, having a soft spot for the youngest, sighs and pushes him into the back of the car, pushing HB to move closer to Jigo to make room for Dante’s youngest son. “Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it later.”

That later came sooner than expected when An-An burst into tears. “Kuya, I can’t take it anymore. I need to tell you now. And I need to vomit.”

The car pulls over and Huan comes out of the driver’s seat just as An-an retches on the side. An-an always has this duality. He looks sturdy and reliable on the outside, yet when he’s hurt, he cries and asks for comfort. For Huan, An-An would always be the perfect youngest brother he’ll always protect.

“Tell me.” Huan demands.

The youngest slumps on the ground, sniffs and lets out a sob. “My heart hurts.” He manages to say after taking a few deep breaths. “There’s a girl who chased after me in school, who tells me how much she likes me and wants to be with me every day. I constantly ignored her. When I finally reciprocated the feeling, it was too late to be with her. She passed away so quietly, kuya, without any warning. I miss her. I cannot get over her. My heart has been in constant pain.” His shoulders shook and slumped, then he’s retching again.

Huan bends down and pats his back. He had no words to offer, only a gentle and warm hand.

Everyone heard of An-An’s confession as the rest of the car’s passengers came out. HB in particular is vividly aware of the emotions that ransacked the air. The older brothers’ feeling sorry for the youngest, feelings of sorrow and loss coming from the youngest, and an uncomfortable feeling lurking behind her, something that is giving her butterflies on the stomach. The wind gently blows, making her hair and skirt fly the same direction, helping her concentrate on only one feeling, of pity for the youngest whose heart is still in the midst of breaking.

Kiko stands watching at the side as well, his heart being pricked by multitudes of invisible needles. There’s this dread deep within that makes him clutch at his chest. What if…

Jigo’s hands goes up and carefully picks the leaf that has landed on HB’s head, pocketing it instead of throwing it away. He gulped as a new wave of feeling engulfed him. A feeling that has thrown him into uncertainty, that’s already making him regret going forward instead of staying. He knows that when he’s gone, he’ll miss a lot of things and opportunities to get to know this newfound family.